Personalised treatment

Everyone diagnosed with cancer deserves to be treated with the latest state-of-the-art technology, promising new treatments and drugs and receive timely care.

Wessex Cancer Alliance is working with our expert clinical site-specific groups to ensure patients in Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Dorset have appropriate access to treatment and care. This includes ensuring specialised surgical care is available alongside modern radiotherapy and chemotherapy services.

Investing in new diagnostic equipment

The NHS Long Term Plan makes a commitment to invest in new equipment, including CT and MRI Scanners, which can deliver faster and safer results and complete the £130 million upgrade of radiotherapy machines.

In October 2019 it was announced our hospital trusts in Dorset, Poole, the Isle of Wight, Southampton and Portsmouth will be receiving funding to replace upgrade old CT and MRI scanners.

Creating radiotherapy networks

By forming radiotherapy networks and working collaboratively across traditional organisational boundaries we can share expertise, technology and treatment techniques. In 2019/20 we are establishing a radiotherapy network across Wessex and the Thames Valley. In doing so, we will be able to improve cancer survival and reduce variation in care.

Developing a chemotherapy network

Our work in 2019/20 includes developing a chemotherapy network across the Alliance’s geography.

It will bring care closer to home for all cancer patients in Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Dorset, meaning many patients will be able to access chemotherapy as an outpatient in local community settings, rather than as an inpatient in hospital.

We have completed the first part of this project: a review of current systemic anti-cancer therapy (treatment of cancer with medicines) services in Wessex. We received national recognition for this piece of work. We are now working on the second part of this project: to standardise drug protocols and identify where chemotherapy can be provided in the community.

Genomics

The NHS Long Term Plan sets out commitment over the next ten years to routinely offer genomic testing to all people with cancer for whom it would be of clinical benefit. This will help ensure cancer treatments are better targeted to the person.

Within our Alliance geography, all children with newly diagnosed cancer will be referred for whole genome sequencing by April 2020; and from 2020/21, we will support providers to offer genomic testing to all patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer, helping to achieve a national ambition that more than 100,000 people a year can access these tests by 2023. This work includes developing the skills and knowledge of our local workforce to deliver genomic medicine.